Krugman, Death Panels, And The Disabled

“We’re going to need more revenue…it will require some sort of middle class taxes as well…And we’re also going to…have to make decisions about health care, not pay for health care that has no demonstrated medical benefits…death panels and sales taxes is how we do this.” -Paul Krugman

I earned my Bachelor’s Degree in Counseling and Human Services and have spent my professional career assisting individuals with various mental, emotional, and developmental challenges. As a father of an autistic child, I also have a personal interest in the long-term needs of the disabled community. I realize my son will require life-long support in some form or another, and I’m grateful we live in a country that seeks to provide necessary support services to the most vulnerable among us. However, I am of the strong opinion that the political actions spearheaded by the present administration will ultimately have highly detrimental effects on the current, as well as future, special needs communities.

Universal healthcare, in particular, will likely drive down the payments for skilled therapists and leave our disabled loved ones with few high-quality options in terms of treatment and recovery. The most needy will have more competition for state and federal dollars, a natural consequence of the expansion of recipients related to widespread increases in government dependency. Under a worse case scenario, universal health care could quite possibly deem the most vulnerable, in particular the elderly and disabled, most expendable as their care needs increase and federal funds decrease.

The fact that a high percentage of babies born with Down Syndrome are aborted is tragic in itself; we must be proactive in preventing future atrocities based on the monetary-based decisions of an elite, ‘enlightened’ minority. If we fail to speak out, Paul Krugman and his death panels will have the final say.